Film Study – Amobi Okoye has one of his most impressive day as a Texan

Amobi Okoye disrupts while Cushing plays with proper technique and makes the play

* This is going to be a stretch play to the right which happens to be the side where Amobi Okoye is playing the 3-technique. While Okoye doesn’t get the tackle here, he deserves praise for his ability to get penetration and shutdown any potential cutback lane for Chris Johnson.

* Brian Cushing plays with great patience, discipline and technique here. Antonio Smith is the play-side DE and he is aligned on the inside shoulder of the TE so he isn’t able to set the edge on the stretch play. Instead, the responsibility is on Cushing to flow to the outside and get outside contain which he does. Cushing avoids the block, flows outside, keeps his shoulders square and pursues CJ for the tackle.

• • •

Texans outnumber the Titans and Cushing makes the tackle

* The Texans are in a 4-3 front with LB Sharpton split out on the slot receiver and Cushing lined up in the middle.

* Right before the snap, watch the Texans sneak Kevin Bentley up near the line of scrimmage over the left guard and Cushing up near the “A gap” between the right guard and the center. In essence, the Texans are showing the Titans a man-on-man front which keeps the offensive line from getting to the next level with their blocks even though Bernard Pollard is theoretically, the only guy near the box who could make the tackle if it broke past the line of scrimmage.

* Amobi Okoye is lined up as the 3-technique on the outside shoulder of the right guard. Okoye is a big part of the defense’s success here as he takes on both the guard and the tackle and keeps the guard from getting off the block and onto Cushing on the second level. By Okoye occupying two blockers and shutting down the attempted second level block, Cushing is able to stay clean and read the inside zone and flow with the back for a clean tackle.

* In this video, we have two views of the “games” that Frank Bush is running against the Titans offensive line. The endzone view after the sideline view will give you a better look.

* Watch how the center steps right out on NG Earl Mitchell while the RG tries to handle Okoye’s inside move by himself. Many teams will try and pass slanting and twisting defensive linemen off to the guy next to them in order to avoid what we will see in a second.

* Mario Williams makes an inside move on the LT which causes the LG to turn his attention away from Mitchell and to Mario.

* Many times, the 3-technique (Okoye) will try and flatten out and pick the center in order for the NG to come back over the top, but in this instance, Okoye is able to get enough penetration that the RG has to stay with him which causes a huge void on the right side that is wide open to Mitchell as he “twists” over the top. Mitchell pressures Rusty Smith who clearly has no interest in stepping into his throw while taking a hit from Mitchell. Instead, Smith throws it off his back foot and the ball floats enough for CB Quin to sit under and make the INT.

• • •

Antonio Smith and Brian Cushing destroy the inside zone

* The Tennessee Titans are running an inside zone on this play, but as you’ll find out in a second, this play never had a chance to succeed.

* On this play, the TE on the left side of the formation is responsible for trying to get his head across the face of Antonio Smith and seal him off or at least flatten him out. Instead, Smith not only wins the battle to get inside, but he gets way up the field, completely disrupting the timing of the play.

* On this play, the Texans have walked Brian Cushing up on the line of scrimmage and now Nate Washington (#85) is responsible for getting Cushing blocked. Obviously, this is a total mismatch. If Cushing hadn’t been there, then Chris Johnson might have been able to cut it way back to the left after having Antonio Smith disrupt Johnson’s reads, but once Cushing comes in and attacks on the backside along with Antonio Smith, the Titans have no prayer of having any success with this play.

• • •

Amobi Okoye single-handedly wrecks the Titans gap play

* I get after Okoye pretty good on many instances because I don’t think he has lived up to his draft position and I don’t think he’s been disruptive up front. Against the Titans, I thought Okoye may have had his best game as a Texan. While he hasn’t made the tackle on any of these plays, I wanted to point out what a great job he did and how he can have a huge impact on the success of the defense without even making a tackle.

* On this play, Okoye once again gets up the field with great penetration…. this time it is through the RTs inside shoulder. In the past, I’ve seen tackles and guards easily wash Okoye down inside away from the play, but that certainly didn’t happen here.

* Okoye gets so much depth that he is able to crash into the LG who is trying to pull and get into the hole as a lead blocker for Chris Johnson. Watch as Okoye is able to run the pulling guard into Chris Johnson who has to hesitate and wait for something to open up. This disruption allows Cushing to get up off the ground, after being cut by the fullback, and make a tackle that he wouldn’t ordinarily be able to make.

I’m glad you highlighted Okoye during this week’s blog, Lance. I made the comment several times watching the game Sunday how well he was playing the run. Lets hope there is more of this to come from Amobi.

I was all revved up to come on here and praise Okoye, but alas, you stole my thunder. I guess that means I was not imagining it, though.

His game was a great example of how a player can meaningfully and consistently affect the outcome of the game without it showing up in the stat sheet.

I just want to remind everyone that Arian Foster continues to be a Bad-Ass. He proved it again last weekend, making several plays out of nothing. It must be irritating as hell to play defense against him.

By the way, did you watch any of the Arizona game? They looked really awful.

This begs the question of why Amobi doesn’t always perform this productively. Are the Titans Center and Guards below average, or is the light finally coming on for Amobi? Or is he destined to be someone who has the ability, but only flashes it from time to time. Lance, can/will Amobi do this on a regular basis?

I wish I could say confidently that he is turning the corner, but I just don’t know. He did wear Jake Scott on Sunday, that is for sure.

Lance , I wanted to thank you for doing this. Breaking down plays is some most aren’t able to do due to lack of interest, lack of knowledge, or even lack of time. Only thing missing is a coaches clicker laser! Great work.

Z- you know ive been a big(BIG) critic of #91. Because after playing the game and getting away from it and seeing it threw mature eyes the game has become simple: You have to win the battle in the trenches(Duh i know but i was corner). And one DE(#90) can’t win that by him self. Hell two can’t( look at Indy). Im a firm believer in Collapsing the pocket with interior pressure. He was textbook in this all day. If he played like that on a weekly basis, we wouldn’t be talking about Quin, McCain, or Jackson. Not on a weekly basis anyway.

Bingo. Collapsing the pocket is the single most unsung part of great pass rushing units.

2 questions. We seemed to play differently on D this week. Similar to how we played vs the Colts (Game 1). It seems we digressed and basically did not play with an aggression on D again until the Jets game. We kept up the aggression Sunday vs the Titans.

Question #1… Why was our D so much better? Players playing better, or better scheme with more aggressive play-calling? Or is it all because the Texans played a team that quit on its coach (at least for 1 week)?

I know it is a combination of all these factors that produces a huge swing in results, but results aside, isn’t the scheme seeming to change? Don’t the players seem to be responding to the change in scheme?

Hasn’t this been the MO for all the years Kubes has been here (no matter who was DC? We play so vanilla on D (no disguising of coverages, no false blitzes, no bringing unexpected or delayed blitzes, on & on) till our D can get no worse, and THEN become noticeably more aggressive? Which brings me to…

Question #2 Is the only way to change our Defensive approach to change the HEAD Coach, not simply the Defensive Coordinator?

BTW, one overlooked factor of awesomeness in the AJ/Finnegan Fight? C-Stud’s Beard! That thing is gettin’ NICE!

Defense just played much better. Onto second question, you don’t have to change head coach to change direction of a defense.

I always look forward to seeing your film break down of the previous games. You as a part time newspaper guy bring us better information than the full time newspaper writers, not counting Solomon, because I don’t think he can actually called a journalist. Great work as always, Doublerods.

Amobi jumped off the screen all game for the first time I can remember. Agree with you that this was absolutely his best game. His ‘get-off’ on this selection of plays, and all game, was just ridiculous. Dude is into the OLinemen’s pads by the time the ball is hitting Smith’s hands on the snap!

Side note: It does make me wonder if they were keyed in on the rook’s cadence, as it seems a vet might’ve switched it up and caught the Texans for their weekly offsides/encroachment penalty. I mean, #91 has that thing timed perfectly.

The two other plays of note I thought you might have here and are worth mention:

- The reverse that Amobi completely blew up while fighting through a block the whole time, which allowed Earl to make the TFL.

- Inside zone right to CJ and Amobi made one of the nicest solo TFLs I’ve seen in his career. Dude was in the backfield so quick I don’t think the cameras even had a good view of how he won at the snap.

Two more just outstanding plays in a game the guy just killed from start to finish. Nice to finally be able to type that about Okoye, and he didn’t even record a sack.

Always reading and listening in the AM, but good to get back in here for the first time in a long time, Bro. Keep doin’ what you do.

-Later-

I had 4 more plays I wanted to add, but it just takes so long to get them cut up and written up that I had to leave them out.

It’s good to be the son of an NFL offensive line coach, first rate at that. Hey, thank you for using Chron.com as your conduit to us, the enraptured fan. You have found your niche. The newsletter looks like entirely too much work for too little viewership.

Anyway, the players are surely enjoying this as well. All around a rare positive for the paper. Keep it up and if Okoye is reading, man, man, okay just don’t go Kelvin Cato on us. Yeah we know, contract negotiation time is coming up. That’s what has the knowledgeable fan excited because we can expect you to continue to blow up here on out and frustrated for the obvious reasons.

Who knew the phrase Kelvin Cato would some day become slang for dog pro.

Great stuff as always, Lance. Your blog is required reading for any Texans fan as far as I’m concerned. Do you have any thoughts on Eric Winston’s season this year? I’m guessing his run blocking is good, since they’ve been so productive. But even my untrained eyes can tell he is very poor as a pass blocker at this point, and has been for most of the season.

I think he’s had more issues than I’ve expected in pass protection but I think they are based on some technique issues that he can get fixed. The run blocking has been good.

Lance, middle of the third quarter, Winston was beat by Babbin for a costly sack on 3rd down in the Titan red zone and the Texans had to settle for a field goal. After the kick Vonta said something to Winston as they were jogging off the field and Winston rammed his shoulder into Leach’s chin had they had to be separated. Any insight on what happened or just heat of the moment game stuff.

wow, looks like amobi found that first step (for the 1st time in his career) that he had coming out of college. I sure would like to see that on a weekly basis. Great work. I enjoy reading your stuff every week.

Great stuff as usual. Do you think Texan offensive time of possession had any thing to do with defensive improvement? I personally would prefer running Arian a lot more and keeping the defense off the field?

Yes. Simple math – the longer the defense gets to stay on the sideline, the better they will be.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw 91 in the backfield disrupting plays. I realize DT’s don’t get noticed very often but Okoye has been invisible for the most part during his career. I haven’t broken down film on him, what do you see that keeps him from disrupting on a regular basis? Is it scheme, technique, talent or desire?

Greetings from St Louis. Man I miss Houston. On the twist play, was Chris Johnson suppose to chip or take on Mitchell? I know he was thinking about ducking behind the line for a dump off pass, but would it have been better for him to slow the rush down instead? Was that a bust on Johnson part?

I asked my dad about that and he said that CJ’s responsibility is probably the middle linebacker if he comes on a blitz (since it was a play-action pass), but once the MLB drops in coverage, CJ is free to come out of the backfield for a pass.

As another poster pointed out “I think Okoye, Jacoby, Slaton, McCain, OD, and Wilson could all be gone before next season. ”

I could see OD not being extended. With Joel Dreessen (save for the fumble again Jacksonville) playing so well. Why dont they use him in the same ways the use OD?

Jacoby – What happened to this guy? Where have the hands been and the kick returns for that matter? I was really hoping for him to have a breakout year. Time to give Dickerson a few in game reps?

McCain – Dosent he have another year on contract?

Possible free safety? The guy can cover a lot of ground.

Wilson – With Troy Nolan taking some of his reps i could see it happening. I have seen Nolan late to get over on cover 2 plays and Wilson right back out there. Who knows.

Slaton – Love the guy, wish the best for him. I think he could still help this team. How about him and Foster on the field at the same time? What can you say when the coach losses confidence in you?

I think Slaton is gone while McCain will probably still be around. Wilson will probably stick around one more year but I think Jacoby is gone too if they take a WR in the first four rounds. If OD wants to stick with the Texans, he’ll obviously have to take a much more team friendly deal.

Thanks for the post and the vids. This is a good reminder just how much the tackle play impacts our LBs. Unfortunately, I still think we blew it on the Amobi pick. Seeing this just reinforces his minimal production despite his obvious ability. It’s a shame, but I don’t see him delivering this kind of effort consistently after 4 years. Maybe his agent gave him a little reminder that he might want to pick it up a little so he can be playing somewhere in the NFL next year.

One thing you have to remember about Amobi is that we drafted him at an age when most players are graduating from High School and he is now at an age when most players are graduating from college and being drafted so it makes sense he is starting to come around.

Can he legally buy a drink yet?

So why did they draft a guy who wasn’t going to start playing until 4 years into a 1st round contract with the 10th pick of the draft? How stupid is that in hindsight? BTW, I’m of the opinion that effort and motor has more to do with performance than age.

Thanks for the analysis. I think you give credit and blame when due. 3 questions:

1. Jacoby has been mediocre as a returner and not very productive as a WR. Is there any thought to going back to Slaton as KR/PR and maybe giving Dickerson a shot at WR?

2. Eugene Wilson hasn’t been very good this season. Should Troy Nolan get more snaps at FS?

3. What’s your analysis of E. Winston? From my untrained eyes, he hasn’t played as well this year as in years past.

I would like to see Nolan get more snaps, but I don’t think Kubiak trusts him based on some of the mistakes he’s made. I could see Jacoby gone after this year. As for Winston, he has been very good in the run-blocking game, but his pass protection has been a little inconsistent compared to last year. I think he’s playing too far over his toes as he seems to be off-balance more than I’ve seen in the past. He can get that fixed.

Best analysis on the web, hands down. I especially appreciate how you aren’t afraid to praise when it’s deserved, criticize honestly when deserved, and be realistic.

On another note, do you think there is anything they could do in the offseason toreally shore up the pass rush? I realize losing Barwin hurt very badly, but I still think they need a playmaking, dominant DT, which is what they have always been missing. I just don’t know if there is one (free agency or draft) that could realistically be there for them to get. Mark Anderson, Barwin, and Mario would be a lot better if there was someone always tying up 2 blockers and pushing back into the pocket every passing down.

I think adding a DT that can collapse the pocket and getting more speed outside with the pass rush will help.

I see Jason Babin has as many sacks as Mario. I always felt that Babin was a good pass rusher, but the Texans didn’t see that. As for Amobi, could it be that the Texans are just mismanaging the guy? Could he have something that they just aren’t getting out of him? Seems like every year the Texans hit a rough patch and then when the pressure comes to produce, voila, they find what they need to start winning and keep their gigs. A horrible defense comes together just in time to save the season. Looks familiar.

I’ve watched the d-line play closely and I don’t think Okoye is being mismanaged. As for Babin, I came away VERY impressed. He played with great leverage and strength and clearly enjoys plays much wider so he can get a running start at the tackle.

Good game? You mean a few good plays, right? Has the bar been set so low, and expectations so muted that simply doing an average job earns so much praise. For the season, dude has exactly 3 more tackles and 1 more sack than Shaun Freaking Cody, LZ!

If you find something that I said in any of the breakdown or the headlines that were incorrect, let me know. This was one of his best games and the tape did the talking. If you have an agenda, that’s fine. Nobodoy said he was great. I don’t even think he should be starting, but the truth of the game is the truth of the game. Tape speaks.

Nice Vids for us fans who can’t tell what’s going on. I ussually count how many defensive guys are in a box before every snap while watching the O line and D line fight it out.

Next draft looks like it’s going to be very deep with excellent cornerbacks. If you are Texans do you pick a pass rush in first round and CB 2nd or they will be gunshy since they have #25?

If you really want to know how you know you have a good defensive front, keep an eye on men in the box. Teams who can win with just the front 7 have great defensive lines and they are probably one of the best teams in the league.

Considering Okoye’s age, a good game (hopefully followed by another) may be a sign that he is finally playing to his talent level. Another step forward for the Texans D. Any indications of progress with Jackson and Quin over the last 3 games?

Nice work as usual. Did you think the Texans did anything special, or simply performed as well as any defense would have performed (giving the personel issues the Titans have)? Secondly, perceived (by the Texans mgt) depth at the receiver position has been exposed this year by many defenses. Do you see the Texans selecting a WR in the first three rounds?

By the way:

I am thinking Jacoby and Slaton are probably not staying in Houston.

With Amobi, it might come down to his performance trend the rest of the season vs his asking price.

I noticed during the game that not only Okoye was playing a good game, but that Cushing was far and away playing his best game of the season. I thought for once he wasn’t out there pressing to be “the man” and let the game come to him a little more. It most definitly was his most productive outing to date. Hopefully he goes out and does the same thing again. I think we are a completely different defense with Cush playing like that.

I’d love to see film of Arian Foster’s 19 yard run, I believe in the third quarter. I was keying on LT Brown, and on this play, Brown looped around the DE and sealed off the outside LB, creating a huge lane for Foster to run through. It was a difficult block to make, but Brown executed it very well.

I heard you on the radio last night in Austin. Always great information about the Texans. You made the statement that some of the Texan players told you they had found some holes in the schemes and personal of the Phili defense that they would be able to exploit especially with the run game. I know you can’t elaborate on that, but did there candid comments give you a reason to think that they could pull off the upset on the road?

Love it. I’m a glass is half full guy, so bear with me. If the light is starting to come on for Okoye and Mitchell improves, is Mitch big enough to do what they ask Cody to do? I like having them both on the field. Cody seems serviceable with a great motor, but I don’t see that burst from him. When I focus on Cody, I see him holding the point of attack (which may be all they want from him??).

Last year we were last in the league in rushing and this year we are number one. I would like to hope that our defense collectively can make a similar improvement but that appears to be unrealistic with Frank Bush. A 7-9 season, as I am predicting for the texans this year, will cause Rick Smith to be more agressive in free agency than ever next year to aquire more talent since Bush wont be fired and mark my words, a 7-9 finish will not get kubiak neither Bush fired next year, even though it should.

What do u think about about Ron Rivera for our next head coach? His defense always shuts down petyon manning, and he can run either a 4-3 or a 3-4 so he isnt “married” to a system like some coaches. He played for the ’85 beaars. Best of all, he has no ties to Denver.

I don’t know. He’s just so unknown since he has no prior experience as a head coach, but I know the Bears really missed him the year after he left.

Hey Lance I was just making a joke about Amobi’s age since you guys are always doing it on 1560.

Meant to ask you about the Titans playing their ends so wide. Babin really took advantage of it but it seemed to open big hole for running. What is your thoughts on the ends playing so wide.

You are dead on with both points. The wider 9-technique DE slot allows speed guys to get more of a running start which makes them more dangerous, but it also opened up the ability to hit the backside cut with ease for the Texans or to just run it at the weakside.

“I think adding a DT that can collapse the pocket and getting more speed outside with the pass rush will help.”

Meant to ask you about this also. Everyone seems to agree that we need a DT that can collapse the pocket but since Kubiak likes speed guys who can run sideline to sideline the prospect of him drafting a “fat” guy to plug the middle seem slim to none. What are your thoughts.

You need a NT who can take up more space on 1st and 2nd down and keep LBs clean, but you want a 3-technique who can get up the field. I honestly believe Earl Mitchell is going to be the guy. I’m willing to bet $500 right now to anyone on this blog that Mitchell has a better career than Okoye. We can put it in a joint account and let it sit and collect interest but I’m pretty sure about this.

Lance- the Wade Phillips comment came from a guy i know who was at Bum’s roast. He hangs with a few guys in that circle. Said it was mentioned that if the Texans called him he’d jump at the chance. You know how that stuff goes though, guys drinking, cuttin up so who knows. He’s pretty legit though so we’ll see.